The present invention relates to apparatus for mounting antennas on vehicles. In particular, the present invention is a rapidly attachable and detachable antenna mount for mounting a radio antenna on a vehicle such as a truck.
With the growing popularity of citizen band (CB) radios, more and more professional truck drivers (as well as other drivers in general) are buying and utilizing CB radios. The CB radios permit the drivers to keep in communication with their home offices and their dispatchers, as well as to inform each other of road hazards, traffic jams, and the like.
Although some truck drivers own their trucks and can leave their CB radio and antennas permanently mounted, most truck drivers work for others and change from one truck to another very frequently. It is common, therefore, for the truck drivers to own their own CB radios and to take their radios with them as they change from truck to truck. In addition, due to the popularity of CB radio equipment, a large number of CB radios and antennas are stolen. While the radio itself can be locked in the cab of a truck, the antenna is exposed and can be easily stolen. It is advantageous, therefore, to remove the antenna each time the vehicle is left unattended, unless the antenna is permanently attached to the vehicle.
In the past, there have been various types of clamping arrangements which have been used to mount the antennas of CB radios at various locations upon a truck cab. One particularly common technique is to attach the antenna to the rear-view mirror support bar of the truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,148 by Fleming shows an example of one make-shift arrangement which has been used to mount an antenna to the rear-view mirror support bar. In this type of arrangement, a pair of "vise grip" pliers clamp the antenna support bracket to the mirror support bar. While this permits easy attachment and removal of the antenna, it has several disadvantages. First, vise grip pliers are rather expensive to be used simply for clamping an antenna mounting bracket to a truck. Second, unless great care is used, the vise grip pliers can easily crush the mirror support bar if improperly adjusted. Third, the arrangement is rather unsightly. Fourth, it is difficult if not impossible for the driver to conveniently tilt the antenna when approaching a bridge or obstruction, since the vise grip pliers securely grasp the support bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,275 by Wagman illustrates another type of antenna mount which may be used. The disadvantage to this arrangement is that it requires Allen wrenches to connect and disconnect the clamping members, and also requires a separate ground wire for grounding the antenna.